Well-being and positive psychology (PERMA) · worksheet 111
“Flow” is when you are so caught up in what you are doing that you forget the time: cooking, playing music, DIY, sport, writing… These moments feed engagement, one of the pillars of well-being.
Before you start
- What it is for: To get back to the activities that absorb you and do you good, and give them a place in your week again.
- 15 minutes for the list; then one moment during the week.
- Flow is when you lose track of time because you are completely caught up in what you are doing.
- It usually appears with a challenge that suits you: not so easy it bores you, not so hard it overwhelms you.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
Flow often comes when the challenge suits you: neither too easy (boredom) nor too hard (stress).
If you find it hard
If you can’t find any today, look back to your childhood or teenage years: what absorbed you then can come back in another form.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Identify the activities in which the person is fully absorbed (flow, engagement) and give them back some space.
Boredom, lack of motivation, recovery from burnout, retirement, life abroad. Duration: 15 min in session; observation over a week.
References
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. Free Press.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
